Expansible plug-type closure



g 5, 1952 D. R. GREEN 2,605,924

EXPANSIBLE PLUG-TYPE CLOSURE Filed June 27, 1950 INVENTOR. DALLAS R GREEN BY Patented Aug. 5, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,605,924 V V EXPANSIBLE PLUG-TYPE CLOSURE Dallas It. Green, Hooper, Utah Application June 27, 1950, Serial No. 170,593

4 Claims.

a tank including two spaced apart apertures in ii the top thereof, such as the tanks used in transporting and vending soft water.

Another object of this invention is to provide a closure for effecting a tight seal for the liquidwithdrawing apertures of a tank.

A further object of this invention is to provide a closure which is particularly adapted for use with a tank including two spaced apart apertures, the closure being easily and speedily attached to and detached from its position in closing relation with the apertures.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a closure of the expansible plug type which is simple in structure and relatively cheap to manufacture.

to closures, and more I 20 stopper 23 and associated elements in the desired The above and still further objects and advanv tages of the invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the closure of the I present invention supported on the top of a tank in closing relation with respect to a pair of spaced apart apertures provided in said top;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the closure of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the closure of the present invention, shown in section, as supported in the spaced apart apertures provided in the top of the tank in position to be locked for effecting a tight fluid seal; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line fil of Figure 1, showing the closure in the locked position for effecting th tight fluid seal for the spaced apart apertures of the tank.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals have been used throu hout the several views to designate like parts, there is shown the closure of the pres- V ent invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 10, as applied to a tank ll including two spaced apart apertures l2, 13 in the top 14 thereof.

The closure embodies a fixed base plate 211 which is adapted to overlie the apertures l2, 13 in the top I l. Disposed on one side of the plate adjacent each of its ends are the washers 21, 22, which are fabricated of any suitable sponge rubber material. Disposed transversely of the plate 211 and overlying the washer 22 is a first stopper 23 which is fabricated of any hard rubber material, and has one end abutting against the adjacent face of the washer 22. Disposed contiguous to the other end of the stopper 23 is a bearing plate 24 which abuts against the adjacent end face of the washer 23.

Similarly, there is provided a second stopper 25 positioned in spaced parallel relation with respect to the first stopper and having one end abutting against the adjacent face of the washer 21. Abutting against the other end face of the stopper 25 is a bearing plate 26.

' Disposed in confronting and contacting relation with respect to the other side of the fixed plate .28 is a movable plate 21. Extending through the assembly 'of the fixed plate 21], the washers 2!, 22, the stoppers 23, 25 and the hearing plates 24, 26, and the movable plate 21 are the bolts 28, 29 which have their heads 39,731 abutting against the bearing plates 24, 26, and have their threaded ends 32, 33 projecting beyond the non-confronting face of the movable plate 21. Engaging the threaded end 32 of the bolt 28 is a nut 34 which maintains the assembly of the positions with respect to each other. Similarly, there is provided a nut 35 on the threaded end 33 of the bolt 29 for maintaining the assembly of r the stopper 25 and associated components in the desired relation.

Disposed contiguous to the non-confronting face of the movable plate 21 is a hand-actuable lever 36 which is pivotally supported contiguous to one end by means of the pin 31, the other end of the lever 36 being provided with a handle 38. Extending through a slot 39 provided in the movable plate 21 is a camming element 40 which has one end formed integrally with or fixedly secured to the lever 36 contiguous to the pivot 31 and has the other end grounded for engagement with the fixed plate 26. As clearly shown in Figure 3, the lever 3Sis' normally disposed at right angles with respect to the movable plate 21 with a side edge of the camming element 40 resting upon the fixed plate 20. Upon manually grasping the handle 38 and effecting a counterclockwise movement of the lever 36, the curved surface of the camming element 20 is brought into bearing engagement with respect to the fixed plate 2!] to thereby urge the movable plate 21 away from the fixed plate 20." The extent of the movement of the movable plate with respect to the fixed plate is predetermined by the length of the camming element utilized. I

In actual use, the lever 36 is disposed in its position normal to the movable plate 21, wherethe bounding walls of the apertures. The locked position of the closure is clearly shown in Figures 2 and 4. i

To remove the closure from its supported position in sealing engagement with respect to the apertures l2, I3, it is merely necessary to grasp the handle 38 and impart a clockwise movement to the lever 36, whereupon the camming element is restored to the position shown in Figure 3. The stoppers 23, 25 can then be removed from the supported position within the apertures l2, l3 and be applied at some later time or utilized in conjunction with another tank.

The device of the present invention is especially useful where it is necessary to effect tight fluid seals rapidly and where it is desired to utilize the same closure for sealing tanks having standard, spaced apart, fluid-withdrawing openings, such as those utilized in transporting and vending water for drinking and commercial purposes.

Although only one embodiment of the closure of the present invention has been described, it is readily apparent that numerous modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A closure for a tank of the type having two spaced apart liquid-withdrawing apertures, said closure comprising a fixed base plate adapted to overlie said apertures, a first laterally expansible cylindrical stopper disposed transversely of said plate contiguous to one side thereof and having one end connected to said plate, a second laterally expansible cylindrical stopper disposed in spaced parallel relation with respect to said first stopper and connected do said one side of the plate, said stoppers being arranged to be simultaneously insertable within said apertures, a movable plate disposed in confronting and contacting relation with respect to the other side of said fixed plate, and means operatively connected to said movable plate and to the other end of each of said expansible Stoppers and arranged to exert longitudinal compression on the stoppers to expand said stoppers into tight engagement with the bounding walls of said apertures in response to the movement of said movable plate out of confronting and contacting relation with respect to said fixed plate.

2. A closure for a, tank of the type having two spaced apart liquid-withdrawing apertures, said closure comprising a fixed base plate adapted to overlie said apertures, a first laterally expansible elongated cylindrical stopper disposed transversely of said plate contiguous to one side thereof and having one end connected to said plate, a second laterally expansible elongated cylindrical stopper disposed in spaced parallel relation with respect to said first stopper and connected to said one side of the plate, said stoppers being arranged to be simultaneously inserted within said apertures, a movable plate disposed in confronting and contacting relation with respect to the other side of said fixed plate, means operatively connected to said movable plate and to the other end of each of said expansible stoppers and arranged to exert purely longitudinal compression on the stoppers to expand the stoppers into tight engagement with the bounding walls of sa d apertures in response to the movement of said movable plate out of confronting and contacting relation to said fixed plate, and hand-actuable means carried by said movable plate and engageable with said fixed plate foreifecting the movement of said movable plate to said position out of confronting and contacting relation and for maintaining the latter in said position.

3. A closure for a tank of the type having two spaced apart liquid-withdrawing apertures, said closure comprising a fixed base plate adapted to overlie said apertures, a first laterally expansible elongated cylindrical stopper disposed transversely of said plate contiguous to one side thereof having one end connected to said plate, a second laterally expansible elongated cylindrical stopper disposed in spaced parallel relation with respect to said first stopper and connected to said one side of said plate, said stoppers being arranged to be simultaneously inserted within said apertures, a movable plate disposed in confronting and contacting relation with respect to the other side of said fixed plate, means operatively connected to said movable plate and to the other end of each of said expansible stoppers and arranged to exert purely longitudinal compression on the stoppers to expand the stoppers into tight engagement with the bounding walls of said apertures in response to the movement of said movable plate out of confronting and contacting relation with respect to said fixed plate, and handactuable means carried by said movable plate and engageable with said fixed plate for effecting the movement 'of said movable plate to said position out of confronting and contacting relation and for maintaining the latter in said position, said hand-actuable means comprising a lever disposed exteriorly of said movable plate and pivotally supported on the latter, and a camming element projecting through said movable plate having one end secured to said lever and having the other end engageable with said fixed plate.

4. A closure for a tank of the type having two spaced apart liquid-withdrawing apertures, said closure comprising a fixed base plate adapted to overlie said apertures, a first laterally expansible elongated cylindrical stopper disposed transversely of said plate contiguous to one side thereof and having one end connected to said plate, a second laterally expansible cylindrical elongated stopper disposed in spaced parallel relation with respect to said first stopper and connected to said one side of said plate, said stoppers being arranged to be simultaneously insertable within said apertures, a movable plate disposed in confronting and contacting relation with respect to the other side of said fixed plate, and means operatively connected to said movable plate and to the other end of each of said stoppers and arranged to exert purely longitudinal compression on said stoppers to expand said stoppers into tight engagement with the bounding walls of said apertures in response to the movement of said movable plate out of confronting and contacting relation with respect to said fixed plate, said means including respective bolts extending through said movable and fixed plates and said stoppers and respective washers on said bolts bearing on the other ends of said stoppers.

DALLAS R. GREEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 624,363 Moore May 2, 1899 1,660,296 Hansen Feb. 21, 1928 2,131,596 Mulcahy Sept. 27, 1938 2,199,964 Rook May 7, 1940 

